Egg-crate unpacking and repacking apparatus



July 8. 1924. D. A. HOWELL EGG CRATE UNPACKING AND REPACKING' APPARATUS Filed March 20 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES m M Z Z w A TTORNE YS July 8 1924.

D. A. HOWELL EGG CRATE UNPACKING AND REPACKING APPARATUS Filed March 20. 1923 2 Shata-$heet 2 ATTORNEYS A I N V EN TOR DAVZDflHOWEZZ Patented July 8, 1924.

units s? nAim) A. HOWELL, or BROOKLYN, Yank.

EGG-CRATE UNPA'GKING his assassins APPARATUS.

Application filed mail so, i923. 'sei-iaine sea 137.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DAVID A. HOWELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Blocklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Im-" proved Egg-Grate Unpacking and Repacking Apparatus, of which the following is a fullclear, and exact description. 7 r

This invention relates to a paelring and unpacking apparatus and has particular refere'nce to a d'eviee for facilitating the unpacking of egg crates and subse uent repacking of the same.

At the present time considerable di'fii'eulty is experienced in removing eggs from crates together with the filler elements which maintain the eggs in separated relation. In large storage houses the eggs when received in the crates are unpacked, 'cancllecl andsubse quently epaelted after thefcandling operation. This entails considerable labor and time under the present methods in addition to large percentage of breaka e and conse-' It is theref re the principal object of the resent invention to provide an apparatus for packing and unpacking an egg crate, by means of whioh time and labor are saved and h'real'rag'e from the packing and unpacking operation reduced to a minimum.

As a further object the intention contemplates an egg crate unpacking and repack ing apparatus which is so constructed as to. permit of the removal of the eggs and filler elements of one layer, the stripping of the filler elements from tlieegge, the strippin of the eggs from the apparatus, the subse quent' engagement of the apparatus with the eggs, the re-engagement of the apparatus vith the filler elements to re-associate the eggs therewith, and the subsequent replacement or repacking ofthe complete layer in the crate.

As a still further object the invention conin View, the invention resides in the novel construction set forth in the following specification, particularly pointed out in the ap pended claims and: illustrated' in the acoom panying drawings, it being understood that the right is reserved to embodiments other than those actually illustrated herein to the to ll extent indicated by the general meaning of the termsfin which the claims are expressed.

In the drawings Figure l is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through an eg crate and through the unpacking and repackin'g device in use and operation. a

V Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device removed from the crate.

Fig. 3 is a detail fragmentary perspective View of one of the cell structure gripping T elements.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective View of one of the horizontal partition'gripping elements prior to the engagement of the same with the partition strip.

a Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side View of the same engaged with the partition strip.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View illustrating one of the cell engaging and straightening elements.

Fig. 7 is a: diagrammatic cross sectional view i'llustrating the operating means for the filler element gripping means; taken approximately on the li e 7" 7 of Fig. 2-.

Fig. 8 is a similar View taken approximately on the line 8 8 of 2.

9 is a detail collective perspective view of the operating means;

Fig. 10 is a detail fragmentary sectional View of the egg engaging and releasing means. I p

Fig. 11 is a detail sectional View ta'l'zen approximately on" the line 11'"l1 of Fig; 2.

Referring to the drawingsby characters of reference,- A designates an egg crate of the usual construction, B the cell'strueture and C 'the horizontal partition strips which are arranged between adjacent superposed cell structures to separate the horizontal layers of egg D.

The device for facilitating the unpacking and repaking' of the crate and which constitutes the invention includes a member 12 which is or rectangular configuration and of an area approximately equal to the area or the egg cell structure; The memher 12 is provided with a plurality of apertures 13 which correspond in number and arrangement to the axial CGHtGlS of the cells defined by the cell structure. A" hearing sleeve 14 having a shoulder 15 adjacent its upper end is fittedwithi'nieach opening 13 upper ends to the shoulder and project downwardly to provide egg engaging jaws.

The normal or inherent resiliency of the.

arms or jaws 17 tends to eifect the radial contraction of the several armsabout the egg and the means for effecting the radial expansion of said arms consists of an axially movable disk 18 which is carried by a rod 19 mounted for sliding movement in each bearing sleeve 14. An upward movement of the rod 19 and its disk 18 effects a radial expansion of the free ends of the gripping arms to release the egg or to allow for the positioning of the arms over the egg. Preferably four arms 17 are provided. for each sleeve, which arms are disposed in such a manner as to enter the egg cell at the corners thereof when the apparatus is tobe engaged with the eggs and filler elements. In order to provide means for simultaneously controlling .the movement of the rods 19 and their heads or disks 18, the upper ends of the rods which project above the sleeves and the upper surfaces of the member 12 are engaged by the forked arms 20 of bell cranks 21 'which'are secured to the transverse rock shafts 22 mounted in bearings 23 onthe upper face of the member 12. The rock shafts 22 of each transverse row of bell cranks 21 are in turn coupled for simultaneous rocking movement by means of the connection between the remaining arms 24 of the bell cranks with a common oscillatory bar 25. The bar 25 is oscillated by means of a manipulatinglever 26 which is pivoted as at 27 to a bearing 28. The bearing 28 is carried by oneof the handles 27 by means gripper jaws 32 provided with angularly disposed free extremities 33. The dependthe upper end of said tubular shaft pro of which the member 12 is lifted and removed.

The means for en a in and su ortin b b b b the filler elements B and C consists of a plurality of depending bars 30 at the lower ends of which bearing heads 31 are provided. The bearing heads each have secured thereto a pair of downwardly projecting spring ingbars 30 are further provided adjacent their upper ends with a bearing lug 37 and the bearing lugs 37 and the bearing heads .31 are provlded wlth'aligned bearing openings. A tubular shaft 38 is mounted for slidingand turningmovement in bearing head 31' and bearing lug 37 and extends through an opening 39 in the member 12,

'jecting above the upper surface of said Fmember 12. An annular shoulder 40 .is

Y formed on the tubular shaft above the lug '37 and a coiled expansion spring 41 .sur-' rounds the shaft 38 with itsopposite ends bearing respectively against the lug 37 and the shoulder 40 to normally eifect upward movement thereof. Through each tubular shaft 38 a shaft 42 extends with its opposite upper and lower ends projecting beyond the tubular shaft. The upper end of the shaft 42 is mounted for turning and sliding movement in a bearing bracket 43 secured to the upper face of the member 12 and a collar 44 is secured by a pin 45 to the shaft 42 immediately below its upper end which isjournaled in a bracket 43. The collar 44 is provided with a lower cammed face 46 while the upper end of the tubular shaft is provided with a complementary cammed face 47. The upper end of the shaft 38 above the upper surface of the member 12 is further provided with a radially projecting arm 48 and the collar with a radially projecting arm 49, while the lower ends of the shafts 38 and 42 are provided with complementary gripping feet 50 and 51. The arms 48of each end of the device are coupled for simultaneous movement by a connecting bar 53, while the arms 49 of each end of the device are coupled for simultaneous movement by a connecting bar 54. It will thus be obvious that upon longitudinal movements of the connection bars 53 and 54 in opposite directions as indicated by the arrows in 'Fig. 7 that the several shafts 48 and 49 will be rotated in opposite directions.

A common means for shifting the connecting bars 53 and 54 is provided which consists of a crank shaft 55 having a manipulating handle 56, which crank shaft is journaled in a bearing 57 approximately at the center of the member 12. The crank shaft has secured thereto for turning movement a rock arm 58 which is pivoted at its opposite ends as at 59 to the connecting bars 54. The rock arm 58 is provided with depending pins 60 at opposite sides of the crank shaft 55 which engage in the slotted inner extremities 61 of rock levers 62 which are fulcrumed as at 63 to the upper face of the member 12. The outer ends of the rock lever 62 are pivoted as at64 to the connecting bars 53 whereby turning movement of the crank shaft 55 by the manipulating handle 56 will rock the arm 58 and levers 62 simultaneously to effect relative longitudinal movement of'the connect-ing bars 53 and 54 in opposite directions.

- In use and operation of the device when it is desired to unpack or remove the eggs and filler elements from an egg crate for the purpose 'of candling'or examining the eggs and repacking the same, the manipulating lever 26 is initially shifted to effect a swinging movement of the bell cranks 22'whereby the rods 19 will be moved axially upward. This movement of the rods will simultaneously effect upward movement of the heads or disks 18 at theirlower endsto spread on.

radially expand the e rogripping arms 17 in i order to permit of the insertion of the same in the cells of the cell structure B of one layer of the case or crate. Previously to the insertion of the device into the crate the manipulating handle 56 of the crank shaft 55 will be turned to cause the gripper feet and 51 at the lower ends ofthe shafts 38 and 12 to be disposed in oppositely projecting relation and in a position parallel to the edge of the member 12. At the time of positioning the device, the pairs of spring.

gripper jaws 32 will be engaged over the outer side .walls of the cell structure B to frictionally engage and supportthe same from the device. To compensate for bulging of the side walls of the cell structure, the

angularly disposed free extremities 33 of each pair of grip-per arms are provided. The member 12 is further provided with depending arms 65 which extend through bearing sleeves 66 and which arms are provided with heads 67 at their upper ends for limiting theirdownward sliding movement.

A spring 68 engages a shoulder 7 O on the bearing sleeve and a spring seat 71 is secured to the arm 65 for normally effecting a downward movement of the arms until arrested by the heads 67. The lower" extremities of the arms 65 are provided with cam terminals 7 2 the purpose of which are to effect an equal spacing of the opposite ends of the horizontal partitions G in order to permit of the passage of the gripping feet 51 therebelow and initially positioning the device with respect tothe layer. lVhen the device is in position, the manipulating lever 26 is operated to simultaneously throw the bell elements are now engaged by and supported crank levers and the rods and heads 19 and 18 to allow the egg gripping elements 17 to engage and support the eggs from the device. The manipulating handle 56 is then operated to turn the crank shaft and rock the arm 58 and levers 62 in an opposite direction whereby the shafts 38 and 42 are turned .to cause the gripping feet 50 and 51 toproject from the same side. 7 The turning.

movement of the shafts 38 and 42 with respect to each other Will cause the ca'mme'd faces 46 and 47 under the influence of the spring to shift the same axiallyand bring' the feet '50 and 51 into gripping engagement with the opposite end edges of the horizontal partition member C. It will thus be seentthat the eggs and both of the filler from the member 12 whereby the operator may grasp the handles 27 and lift the com-- plete'layer including the eggs and the tiller 1 elements B and C from the crate A. When it is. desired to remove the eggs or place the same ona candling box, the operator first xmanipulates thevhorizontal partition gripping meansto releaselthe same and then manipulates the egg gripping means to expand the gripper elements and allow the eggs to gravitate onto the candling box. After the candling operation is completed the device is again brought into juxtaposition to the eggs and the egg gripping means 'manipulated to re-grip the same, after which the horizontal partition member is replaced andre-gripped by the manipulation of the gripping means therefor to permit of the repacking of the layer and release of the gripping elements therefrom. It is of course understood that the horizontal partition memberjC of the bottommost layer means to properly operate, the arms 65 which normally project below the plane of the layer will remove upwardly by conis not necessarily removed and in order to allow for the egg and cell element gripping traction of the spring 68. In order to strip the cell structure B from the'eggs and the device in repacking the" crate, a plurality of stripper rods 73 are employed which extend through the member 12 and 'are provided with heads 74 and 75 at their upper and lower ends, the former heads serving as manipulating elements and the latter serving to engage the upper edge of the cell structure. In practice a light coil spring 76is interposed between the lower head 75 and the under side of the member 12. V

' I claim: I I

1. An egg crate packing and unpacking device comprisinga member, meanscarried by'said member for engaging and supporting the eggs therefrom, means carried by said member for engaging and supporting the filler elements therefrom, independent means for releasing the egg and the filler element engaging and supporting means, and means carried by said member for stripp1ng the filler elements from the eggs when said filler element engaging and supporting 7 means 18 released. 1

2. An egg'crate packing and unpacking device comprising a member, means carried rby said member for engaging and support ing the eggs-therefrom, means carried. by

said member for engaging and supporting 1 ing egg crates comprising means for gripplng and supporting'the eg s of one layer,

means for gripping and supporting the cell structure of one layer, and means for grip- 1 7 I An apparatus for packingiand unpack- &

pin-g and suppertiing the imam-1 part1 tion strip of said layer whereby the eggs 4:. -An ap aratus Eor pac king andunpack egg crates corn-prising means iorfgripping and supporting the eggs of one layer, means 'for gripping supporting the cell structure of one layer, means for gripping and supporting the horizontal partition strip of said layer whereby the eggsand said filler elements ma be maintained in relative posiand n tion during the packing and unpacking peration, and means for maependently releasing the eggs, the cell structure, and the horizontal partition strip gripping means.

5. An apparatus for facilita mg packing, unpacking and repaclring of =eg crates inclu'din'g means for simultaneously gripping and 'st'i p'porting "the eggs, the cell structure and the horizontal supporting and partition strip-of one layer whereby to liftand 'remove the complete layer from the crate for p'osi- -tioni'n'g the same Within the crate.

6. An ap aratus for unpacking and repacking egg crates comprising member, simultaneously operable means for gripping and supporting the eggs of one lawer "from sa idrnember, si nn'iltaineously operable means for gripping and supporting The cell strum ture of said layer from the member, and simultaneously operable means or g-ripping and supporting the "horizontal partition "stri "of said layer from the member, Whereby the eggs and filler elements are m ain'tained in relative position during the packing Ir'pac'lring operation.

z. A411 a paratus for unpacking and repacking egg crates comp'rising a member, simultaneously operable "means for gripping and support? the eggs or =one layer from said member, inu'ltane'onsly operable means for gripping and supporting the cell structure of said layer from the m'ember, simultane'ously "operable mea ns vfor gripping and suppnrting the horizontal partition stri of said layer from the member, whereby th eggs and filler elementsare maintained in relative position during the packing and unpacking operation, means "for simultaneously releasing the-gripping 'm'ea ns for the horizontal partition "strip, and independent means 'for simii'ltaneously releasingfthe egg :grippin'gand supporting means,

' 8. An apparatus for unpacking and repa'ckin'g egg crates comprising a member, simultaneously perableimeans for gripping and sup ortin the eggs of one layer from said member, simultaneously operable means for gripping and "supporting the cell struc ture ofysaid layer from the innibe'rfsfiinultane'o'i'isl'y operable means for gripping and supportin'g'the horizontal partitionstrip of said layer from the member, whereby theeggs and filler elements are maintained in relative position during the acking and unpacking o eration, means for simultaneousry releasing the 'grippin means for the horizontal partition strip independent means for simultaneously releasing the "egg gr'ipping and supporting means, and means for stri ping the cell structure from the eggs after the horizontal partition strip gri p'pi'ng means has been released.

'9. :An a p'p'arat-us for packing and un ackiiig e'ggcrate's comprising a member including means for gripping the eggs of one layer and supporting "the same from said member, said means consisting of plurality of sets of resilient anus normally adapted to radially contract about the eggs, "spreader means for each set'ofarms, inecha nism for simultaneously actuating the spreader means, means for gripping and -=supportin the cell structure of one layer, an'd ineans for gripping and supporting the horizontal partition strip "of said layer, whereby the eggs, the cell structure and the 'partition strip are 'l'n'aintained in "relative "position during the packing and unpacking "operation. 1

10. An apparatus for packing "and *unpacking eg crates comprisi-irg a member including means for gripping the eggs of one layer and supporting the same from said member, said means consisting of a plurality of sets er resilient arn'is normally adapted to radially contract about the eggs, spreader "means for each set of arms, mechaarism for simultaneously actuating the spreader ineans, means for gripping and supporting the cell structure "of "one layer, means 'for gripping supporting the "horifzontal partition strip of said 'layer, Whereby the eggs, the cell structure and the partit-ion "strip are maintained in relative position during the padklhg and unpacking op 'eration, said horizontal partitionstrip gripping means consisting er a plurality of'ipairs of rotary and a xi'ally movable gripping feet, and mechanism "for simultaneously actuating the said gripping feet to engage and disengage same with the edges of the partition strip.

11. *A-n apparatus for packing and' unpackinge'gg crates comprising a member including means for gripping the eggs o'fone layer and supporting the samefr'oin-said member, said means consisting of a plurality of sets of resilient 'arins normally adapted to radially contract about the eggs, spreader means for each set of arms, mechanism for simultaneously actuating the spreader means, means for gripping and supporting the cell structure "of one layer, means for gripping andsupporting the horizontal partition strip of "s'a'id layer, whereby the eggs, the cell st ucture and the partition "strip are maintained in relative position during th'e'pac'king and unpacking operation, said horizonby the supporting member and extending betal partition strip gripping means consisting lOW the gripping feet for spacing the horiof a plurality of pairs of rotary and axially zontal partition strip from the sides of the 1 movable gripping feet, mechanism for simulcrate to permit of the juXta-positioning of 5 taneously actuatingthe said gripping feet the gripping feet With respect to the strip to engage and disengage same With the edges edges. g of the partition strip, and means carried DAVID A. HOWELL. 

